Teacher Professional Development on the World Wide Web

Abstract

The Learning Exchange for Teachers and Students through the Internet (LETSNet) is a new World Wide Web site at the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Education. It was created to inform teachers about potential classroom uses of the Internet. LETSNet was developed within the context of a teacher education program driven by the growing adoption of educational technology in K–12 schools and pressure on colleges of education to adequately prepare teachers to use this technology when they reach the classroom. The design of LETSNet is described, especially the content of the Web site, including the three lenses through which users can access the available resources: conceptual, biographical, and functional. LETSNet is also a valuable tool for teacher professional development, and the article concludes with future plans for incorporating LETSNet into the MSU teacher preparation program.